Flat thin screen TV/monitor automotive roof mount

ABSTRACT

A vehicle roof mounted video display is disclosed. The display is rotatable 180° about a first axis, between a stored position within a housing and a second position in which the display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also rotatable at least 60°, and preferably 90°, about a second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold the display in any position. The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first and second positions so that the display is substantially parallel to the roof. When the display is in the storage position, the display screen faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The invention also includes a number of built-in features to provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment options.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/120,552,filed on Apr. 9, 2002, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.09/717,928, filed on Nov. 21, 2000, which claims priority to provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/248,981, filed on Nov. 14, 2000. The entirety ofeach of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to devices for mounting video displays on theinside surface of an automobile roof. More specifically, the deviceprovides a vehicle mounted video display that incorporates a wide rangeof entertainment options, is convenient to use and poses little risk ofharm to passengers.

2. Description of the Related Art & Summary of the Invention

Overhead consoles for vans and other large vehicles are well known. Onetype of overhead console contains a video display screen and othercomponents to keep passengers entertained on long journeys. Theseconsoles are generally mounted near the center of the transverse axis ofthe vehicle with the display screen facing the rear. However, currentoverhead consoles for video display screens include features that makethem either unsafe or inconvenient to use, or both.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,030 to Mola discloses a vehicle overhead consolewith flip down navigation unit. The vehicle overhead console assemblyincludes a console body with a door pivotally attached to the consolebody. The door is pivotally movable between open and closed positions. Anavigation display unit is connected to the door such that thenavigation display unit is exposed for viewing by a vehicle occupantwhen the door is in the open position, and hidden from view when thedoor is in the closed position. A groove in a substantially U-shapedflexible latch member engages an edge portion of the console body forsecuring the door in the latched position. The pins on which the doorpivots engage a plurality of detents to hold the door in the desiredopen position.

The principal drawback of the '030 device is the hazard that it poses topassengers. The device swings forward, from a stored position, to aviewing position where the display screen is substantially perpendicularto the roof of the vehicle. Due to the design of the pivots and theobstruction posed by the console body, the screen cannot swing forwardany farther than this position. Thus, it poses a significant obstaclefor passengers moving within the vehicle. A passenger who is thrownforward during a collision could be seriously injured by striking thescreen.

Another drawback of the '030 design is the limited range of viewingpositions available for the display screen. The screen may only rotateabout one axis, as described. The screen may not be rotated to the leftor right to accommodate viewers who are not seated directly in front ofthe screen. This drawback is especially acute if the display screen isan LED, which can only be seen from a narrow range of angles in front ofthe screen.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,762 to Vitito discloses an overhead console having aflip-down monitor. The console includes an elongated console housinghaving a leading end and a trailing end, a monitor mounted in theleading end of the console housing, and a compartment for storing asource of video signals.

The '762 design flips downward from a storage position, in which thescreen faces the floor of the vehicle, to a viewing position in whichthe screen faces the back of the vehicle. Like the '030 design, thedisplay may not be rotated farther than this position in which thedisplay is perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Thus, the displayof the '762 design poses a hazard to passengers moving toward the rearof the vehicle. Neither may the screen be rotated to the left or right,limiting the range of viewing positions for passengers. Furthermore, thedisplay screen, which is typically glass, is always exposed to theinterior of the vehicle. Thus, inadvertent contact with the screen ispotentially hazardous to passengers even when the display is in astorage position.

The invention provides a vehicle roof mounted video display. The displayis rotatable 180° about a first axis, between a stored position within ahousing and a second position in which the display lies flat against thevehicle roof. The display is also rotatable at least 60°, and preferably90°, about a second axis that intersects and is substantiallyperpendicular to the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioninghinges to hold the display in any position.

The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first and secondpositions. Force acting on the edge of the display as it approaches theroof or the housing causes the display to rotate about the second axisuntil the display is substantially parallel to the roof. The rotationalcapability of the display, 180° in one direction and between 60° and 90°in another, allows the display to be easily displaced when contacted bya passenger or other object. Thus, the display does not pose asignificant hazard to a passenger who inadvertently bumps into it,either casually or during a vehicle collision.

When the display is in the storage position, the display screendesirably faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The displayscreen is protected from damage in this position, and passengers areprotected from broken pieces of the display screen as might result froma vehicle collision.

The invention also includes a number of built-in features to providepassengers with a wide range of entertainment options. The featuresinclude: A television antenna and tuner, A/V input jacks, video-gameinput jacks, audio-out cables, an FM transmitter cable, and wirelessheadphone transmitters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle roof mountof the present invention disposed within a vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred vehicle roof mount of thepresent invention illustrating the display in a viewing position.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the internalcomponents.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the A/Vinput jacks.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating thedisplay in its storage position.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the intersecting hinges of the vehicle roofmount.

FIG. 6A is a top view of the vehicle roof mount hinge, illustrating thepositive stops.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating theability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewingposition.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating theability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewingposition.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating thedisplay in its fully extended position, 180° from its storage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention provides a vehicle roof mount 20 for a video display 22,as illustrated in FIG. 1. It will be understood by one of skill in theart that the invention may be used to mount, among others, televisionmonitors or navigation units that receive airborne signals, as well asclosed circuit monitors that receive signals from a source within thevehicle. For the sake of simplicity, the term “display” or “videodisplay” will be used throughout to refer to the visual displaycomponent of the invention. No intention to limit the scope of theinvention to any particular type of visual display is implied.

The vehicle roof mount 20 of the present invention comprises a housing24 adapted to be secured to the interior of a vehicle roof 26, and avideo display 22 hingedly attached to the housing 24. FIG. 2 illustratesthe display 22 in a viewing position. The housing 24 features anintegrated dome light 28 to facilitate manipulation of the variouscontrols of the invention, which are described in detail below.

The invention has a wide range of capabilities to ensure that passengersare entertained on even the longest of journeys. The internal componentsthat enable each of these capabilities are illustrated in FIG. 3, whichis a view of the inside of the housing 24 from an upper perspective.Through a UHF antenna 30 and television tuner 32, the invention canreceive and display broadcast television signals. A/V input jacks 34allow connection of a VCR, DVD player, or other similar closed circuitvideo source. The A/V input jacks 34, which protrude from the leadingportion of the housing 24, can be seen in FIG. 4. A multi-pin input jack36 allows a video game unit to transmit audio and video signals to theinvention. If better sound quality is desired, the speakers connected tothe vehicle's stereo system can be used to broadcast the audio from theunit 20 by connecting the unit's FM transmitter 38 to the stereo system.Alternatively, or in addition, audio output cables 40 allow auxiliaryspeakers to be connected to the unit 20. In order to reduce the level ofdisturbance to the driver, wireless headphone transmitters 42 areprovided to broadcast the audio to headphones worn by the passengers.

Advantageously, the unit 20 is entirely self-contained and is rathereasily installed. Thus it is well adapted to be installed in existingvehicles as a retrofit.

The housing 24 is preferably mounted on the vehicle roof 26 in anorientation such that the portion 44 of the housing 24 to which thedisplay 22 is attached faces the vehicle's forward direction of travel.In this orientation, the display 22 is movable from a storage position,in which it resides inside a recess 46 in the housing 24, to a viewingposition, in which the display 22 screen faces the rear of the vehicle.

In the storage position, seen in FIG. 5, the display 22 screen faces thehousing 24, out of sight of the passengers. The display 22 is held inthe storage position by a slidable tab 48, which engages a notch (notshown) on the housing 24. To conserve power when the unit 20 is not inuse, a micro-switch (not shown) automatically shuts off the unit 20 whenthe display 22 is placed in the storage position. With the displayscreen 50, which is typically made of glass, stowed safely inside theplastic casing of the housing 24, not only is damage to the screen 50itself minimized, but the risk of injury to passengers from broken glassis largely eliminated.

Furthermore, with the display 22 disposed within the recess 46 of thehousing 24, the unit 20 acquires a streamlined profile. Advantageously,the height of the unit 20 in this position is less than three inches.Thus it does not act as an obstruction to passengers who are movingabout within the vehicle. This characteristic of the unit 20 is ofcourse advantageous from the standpoint of crash safety, but theadvantage of the low profile isn't limited to crashes and otheremergency situations. This unit 20 is typically installed in vans andother large vehicles where passengers tend to climb over seats andgenerally move around more freely than they would in smaller vehicles.The unit's streamlined profile provides greater safety to thesepassengers as well by reducing the risk of inadvertent bumps against theunit 20.

As alluded to, the display 22 is connected to the housing 24 by hinges,which are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 6A. More specifically,two hinges are provided so that the display 22 is rotatable aboutperpendicular axes. The first hinge 52 is disposed within the leadingportion 44 of the housing 24 and defines a first axis 54 that issubstantially parallel with the roof 26 and perpendicular to thedirection of forward travel of the vehicle. The second hinge 56intersects the first hinge 52 and the display 22 in a manner that allowsthe display 22 to rotate about a second axis 58 whose orientation isdefined by the position of the display 22, but is always substantiallyperpendicular to the first axis 54. The side-to-side rotationalcapability of the display 22 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Both hinges 52, 56 are self-tensioning. The first hinge 52 isessentially a cylindrical axle as shown in FIG. 6. The ends of the firsthinge 52 are disposed within the housing 24 and mounted in such a way asto provide uniform resistance to rotation of the hinge 52. The secondhinge 56 is also a substantially cylindrical axle that intersects thefirst hinge 52 through a bore 60 in its center, and is held in placewith a threaded nut 62. The second hinge 56 and the bore 60 in the firsthinge 52 are sized so as to provide a friction fit between the twocomponents. The friction fit produces a uniform resistance to rotationof the second hinge 56.

The intersecting first and second axes 54, 58, and the self-tensioningcharacter of the hinges 52, 56, provide the invention with two veryimportant features. First, they enable the display 22 to be positionedat a wide variety of viewing angles. The display 22 may be rotated 180°about the first axis 54, from its storage position within the housing 24to a point where it lies flat against the roof 26 in front of thehousing 24, as FIG. 9 illustrates. The leading portion 44 of the housing24 is designed so as not to interfere with the 180° range of motion ofthe display 22. The display 22 may also be rotated at least 30°, andpreferably 45°, both to the right and to the left about the second axis58. Positive stops (FIGS. 6 and 6A) within the housing 24 prevent thedisplay 22 from being rotated any further. This range of angles in twodifferent directions, coupled with the ability of the self-tensioninghinges 52, 56 to hold the display 22 in any position, accommodates awide range of seating positions within the vehicle.

The second important consequence of the two intersecting axes 54, 58 ispassenger safety. Whether a passenger is simply adjusting his positionwithin the vehicle, or flying through the air as a result of a severecollision, any contact he makes with the display 22 will simply push thedisplay 22 harmlessly out of the way. Whether the contact is made fromthe front or the back of the display 22, the display 22 has the abilityto swing toward the roof 26, or toward the housing 24, until it liesflat against the one or the other and poses no obstruction topassengers.

Even if the display 22 is twisted to the left or right when the impacthappens, it will still be pushed flat against the roof 26 or housing 24.As the display 22 nears the roof 26 or housing 24, the force of the roof26 or housing 24 upon one edge of the display 22 will cause the display22 to rotate about the second axis 58 until it aligns with the roof 26or housing 24. And if a passenger contacts the display 22 from the leftor right side, the rotation of the display 22 about the second axis 58will deflect the blow, resulting in little or no harm to the passenger.

The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated forcarrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process ofmaking and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as toenable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible tomodifications and alternate constructions from that discussed abovewhich are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention tolimit this invention to the particular embodiments disclosed. On thecontrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternateconstructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention asgenerally expressed by the following claims, which particularly pointout and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention.

1. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of a vehicle roof, theassembly comprising: a housing having a first side defining a mountingsurface and a second side opposite the first side defining a storagelocation, the housing defining a first hinge portion; a video displayhaving a first face defining a video screen, the video display defininga second hinge portion, the first hinge portion and the second hingeportion cooperating to pivotably connect the housing and the videodisplay, such that the video display is movable between a storageposition and a viewing position; and a microswitch selectively blockingpower to the video screen; wherein when the video display is in thestorage position the video display is at least partially disposed withinthe storage location, and the microswitch is in an off position in whichno power may be channeled to the video screen.
 2. The assembly of claim1, wherein as the video display is moved toward the viewing position themicroswitch is moved to an on position in which power may be channeledto the video screen.
 3. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of avehicle roof, the assembly comprising: a housing; a video displaysecured to the housing, the video display having a first face defining avideo screen; and a wireless earphone transmitter; wherein thetransmitter is configured to transmit an audio signal to earphones. 4.The assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing defines a first hingeportion.
 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the video display defines asecond hinge portion, the first hinge portion and the second hingeportion cooperating to pivotably connect the housing and the videodisplay.